A Sincere Warning.

devastated, laid waste, and many places completely turned to ash; also therein so many thousands of innocent Christians’ dearly bought blood This theological phrase refers to the Christian belief that human souls were "purchased" by the sacrifice of Christ; therefore, the loss of life is framed as the destruction of something precious to God. has been shed, in such a way that the sorrowful remains and ruins original: vestigia & rudera are before our eyes, and will be a living sign for all posterity original: Posteris—indeed, as long as the world stands—of what has resulted in our times through our own fault and also through poorly managed actions.

Yet the source, main root, and fundamental counsels original: fundamenta consilia of all this were raised in the midst of the Roman Empire; long ago fomented, prepared, and driven forward, and finally, on the occasion of the Bohemian unrest A reference to the 1618 Bohemian Revolt, the opening phase of the Thirty Years' War., fully broke out and were put into effect.

Nevertheless, it was done in such a way that the primary inventors and directors made it seem to others somewhat easy, feasible, beautiful, practical, godly, and useful in every respect. Some of these, out of a privately passionate or self-interested spirit, or as if it were a common Protestant matter original: tanquam in re communi Euangelica. This refers to the political and religious alliances of the Protestant Union., took it entirely upon themselves; some were drawn into doubt. A good many, through plausible persuasions, were led right into the middle of the game, and also ran into such difficulties as they could not have imagined, and they themselves do not know the way to rid themselves of them.